The Magic Of Cinderella

Fairy tales can come true.

It can happen to you.

Especially if your name is Mouse (McFadden), Bryce (Drew) or George (Mason).

It's opening-weekend shockers by the little guys - Weber State beating North Carolina, Bucknell downing Kansas, Princeton upending UCLA or Cleveland State stunning Indiana.

It's an enduring, improbable run - George Mason transforming an unexpected at-large bid into a Final Four berth, N.C. State's Jim Valvano looking for someone to hug, Villanova shooting 79 percent from the field to slay Georgetown or Danny (Manning) and the Miracles making Kansas fans weep with joy.

It's No. 8 on David Letterman's Top 10 List of "signs you've been watching too much basketball" from March 25, 2002:

You've named your kids Gonzaga and Valparaiso.

"You know what it is?" said Florida coach Billy Donovan, once the leader of an unheralded Providence team that reached the 1987 Final Four. "It's America."

Life, liberty and the pursuit of a first-round upset.

"Who can't relate to it? It's possible to achieve your greatest dreams," said ESPN's Dick Vitale, who once offered to "stand on my head" if No. 14-seeded Austin Peay upset No. 3 Illinois to open the 1987 NCAA Tournament.

Austin Peay 68, Illinois 67.

"Sometimes, the seeds are just numbers; it's still about people and who performs the best on that day," said former Richmond coach Dick Tarrant, considered the patron saint of NCAA first-round upsets.

His Spiders prevailed when seeded No. 12, No. 13 and No. 15, beating Auburn, Indiana and Syracuse, respectively.

"You never know what might happen," Tarrant said.

Who knows? Cinderella might even show up today in Tampa.

CINDERELLA MAN

The earliest known Cinderella sports reference was prompted by heavyweight boxer James J. Braddock, whose promising career was derailed by the Great Depression. Braddock worked odd jobs to support his family and was generally forgotten by the boxing world. He persevered until earning a title shot against Max Baer, a 10-to-1 favorite, on June 13, 1935.

Braddock won a decision.

The next day, New York newspaperman Damon Runyon wrote, "The fistic fairy tale comes true. James J. Braddock of New Jersey, 'The Cinderella Man' of pugilism, is the new heavyweight champion of the world."

Braddock's tale was the inspiration for the 2005 film "Cinderella Man" starring Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger.

THE FIRST CINDERELLA?

The usage of "Cinderella" increased exponentially when the NCAA Tournament expanded its field to 64 teams in 1985.

But which team was the first Cinderella?

It is believed to be the 1942 West Virginia Mountaineers, who were the No. 8 seed in an eight-team National Invitation Tournament field. When West Virginia won the NIT, the Mountaineers were described as a "Cinderella team" by Arthur Daley of The New York Times. The term stuck and was recycled in nearly every look-back story on the 1942 Mountaineers.

NO. 1 VS. NO. 16

Since the NCAA Tournament began its current bracketing format in 1985, No. 1-seeded teams were 92-0 against No. 16 teams, heading into Thursday's games.

CLOSEST CALLS

MarginScoreSeason 1Georgetown 50, Princeton 491989 1Oklahoma 72, East Tennessee State 711989 2Purdue 73, Western Carolina 711996 4Michigan 59, Fairleigh Dickinson 551985 4Michigan State 75, Murray State 71 (OT)1990

THE BIGGEST UPSETS

Heading into Thursday's game, No. 15-seeded teams had won four matchups - they were 4-88 overall - against No. 2 teams since the NCAA Tournament began its current bracketing format in 1985.

ScoreSeasonWhat Happened Next?Richmond 73, Syracuse 691991Richmond lost to No. 10 Temple, 77-64Santa Clara 64, Arizona 611993Santa Clara lost to No. 7 Temple, 68-57Coppin State 78, South Carolina 651997Coppin State lost to No. 10 Texas, 82-81Hampton 58, Iowa State 572001Hampton lost to No. 10 Georgetown, 76-57